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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27800377">Born to Run</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101'>kopycat_101</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nathmarc November [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Character Death, Earthquakes, Established Relationship, F/M, Gay Marc Anciel, Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, M/M, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Mild Gore, Natural Disasters, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:47:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27800377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>It’s another Akuma attack. This time, however, it’s brought earthquakes. The streets are opening up into large chasms, buildings toppling and crumbling before their very eyes like they’re made of cards.</em>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nathmarc November [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994782</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Born to Run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For NathMarc November Day 30: Together</p><p>:3c</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p> </p><p>“<em>Oh, baby, this town rips the bones from your back,</em></p><p>
  <em>It’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We gotta get out while we’re young.”</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Marc felt sick to his stomach, like he was going to upchuck at any moment.</p><p> </p><p>But no, there’s no time for that. No time to stop, no time for hesitation.</p><p> </p><p>Nathaniel’s hand is clasped tight around his as the two ran for their lives, following the throngs of people, hoping they don’t get stampeded in the process.</p><p> </p><p>It’s another Akuma attack. This time, however, it’s brought earthquakes. The streets are opening up into large chasms, buildings toppling and crumbling before their very eyes like they’re made of cards.</p><p> </p><p>The two comic creators have lost sight of the rest of their friends. Alix and Kim had led the pack of Bustier and Mendeleiev’s classes when it all started. But they were the most athletic of all of them, and in their attempts to find a path as the rest struggled to keep up, they were lost in the throngs of fleeing and panicking citizens.</p><p> </p><p>Not all of them were built for running, had the stamina for it. Some of them were frozen in place and didn’t want to run, like Chloe and Sabrina. Ivan and Mylene had lagged behind and decided to try and find shelter nearby instead. Marinette had sprinted to her parent’s bakery first thing, and Adrien had gone after her without hesitation.</p><p> </p><p>They were all split apart. The last of their friends that Marc has seen were Rose and Juleka. The two girlfriends had stayed close to the comic duo, because of Art Club solidarity. But then Juleka had tripped and fallen with a cry about her ankle, and Rose stayed behind for her, the girls swallowed by the crowd.</p><p> </p><p>“Keep…going…” Nathaniel pants besides Marc, tugging him along.</p><p> </p><p>The redhead had shorter legs, but they were more powerful and used to running away from Akuma. Marc trusted his boyfriend and his self-preservation instincts.</p><p> </p><p>They keep running—until the main street opens up and dozens of people fall in ahead of them. Nathaniel tugs on Marc’s hand, and they take a sharp right into a side street.</p><p> </p><p>Neither of them are athletes, but adrenaline more than makes up for it, keeps them alive and running.</p><p> </p><p>A building topples and falls, blocking off the street. They make another turn. They keep running and running, like lab rats in a maze. They run until they can’t anymore.</p><p> </p><p>The boys skid to a halt, as another chasm opens up in front of them. They pant and wheeze, catching their breaths.</p><p> </p><p>Marc looks over his shoulder, and nearly has a heart attack.</p><p> </p><p>“That building’s gonna fall!” he shrieks to his boyfriend. The redhead does a double-take, eyes blown wide in fear, the two watching as a building rumbles and shakes and slowly collapses forwards in their direction.</p><p> </p><p>“We have to jump!” Nathaniel decides, lightning-quick, squeezing Marc’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you crazy?! We won’t make it!” Marc points out in a panic, eyes staring at the gaping chasm in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s our only chance!” the redhead snaps back, hand gripping Marc’s tight. With his wild and unkept hair, and the fire in his blue eyes, he looks like a wildfire personified.</p><p> </p><p>“Nath, we <em>can’t</em>—”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll do it together! We can do it, baby, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Marc wants to cry. He wants to scream. He wants to hug Nathaniel and never let go.</p><p> </p><p>A sob spills past his trembling lips, but he nods at his boyfriend. Through his tears, he notices how beautiful Nathaniel looks, wild and frantic and terrified.</p><p> </p><p>The two back up as much as they can, a few yards. Shards of glass are raining down around them as they sprint for it, together, their hands clasped tightly. Right at the very edge of the chasm, they jump.</p><p> </p><p>They’re suspended in the air for what must only be a second, but feels like a millennia.</p><p> </p><p>They’re not making it. It’s too far of a jump. Just as Marc had feared.</p><p> </p><p>As they start to freefall, all Marc has time to do is to look over at his love, a shriek wrenching from his throat, Nathaniel managing to get out one final “<em>I love you</em>—" before their bodies make impact.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“<em>The highways jammed with broken heroes,</em></p><p>
  <em>On a last chance power drive,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Everybody's out on the run tonight,</em>
</p><p><em>But there's no place left to hide</em>.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Miraculous Ladybug…!” the hero shrieks as she throws her Lucky Charm in the air.</p><p> </p><p>Instantly, a swarm of glowing ladybugs appear, surrounding her. Then like a pulse of energy, they split off from her, speeding across the air as they make their way across Paris.</p><p> </p><p>Ladybug sobs, stumbling forwards and collapsing on her knees, a few yards from Chat Noir. The leather-clad hero groans, but the ground under him is even, and there’s no longer a collapsed building on top of him, a bar of rebar almost cutting him straight in half—</p><p> </p><p>God. <em>God</em>, he had <em>died</em>, and she <em>saw it</em>—</p><p> </p><p>Her sobs redouble, and she <em>howls</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re alive, you’re <em>alive</em>,” she babbles through her sobs, once she’s able to form actual words and not just animalistic sounds of pure sorrow and bone-deep relief.</p><p> </p><p>She feels arms wrap around her, and she instantly buries her face in her partner’s chest, breathing in his scent and feeling his warmth, ear pressed against his chest to listen to his hammering heart. She grips at his leather-clad back hard enough she’s sure she’s going to leave bruises.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m here, milady. I’m here,” Chat Noir whispers, voice trembling as he presses his face into her hair and breathes in deep. Taking in her warmth and scent to ground himself, just as much as she was doing with him.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Never</em> do that again, chaton,” Marinette weeps into her partner’s chest.</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t,” he agrees quietly, voice thick with sorrow and tears.</p><p> </p><p>Even when they part from their embrace, their hands are clasped tight together. And for the first time, they see who the other is, behind their mask.</p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t matter, anymore. They both remember the terror, both remember how Chat Noir—Adrien—almost died.</p><p> </p><p>They grip their hands tight, and an understanding seems to pass between them then and there, ringing between the silence. No more hiding secrets. Not when they both almost broke from this recent tragedy.</p><p> </p><p>They were partners. They could get through this together.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“<em>We can live with the sadness,</em></p><p>
  <em>I'll love you with all the madness in my soul.”</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Nathaniel groans. He feels like he’s been hit by a train.</p><p> </p><p>He sits up, blinking down at his hand. Marc’s holding it, also groaning and splayed out.</p><p> </p><p>They’re in the middle of the street. A few people down the road are also seemingly waking up, shambling to their feet and loudly wondering what happened.</p><p> </p><p>“Marc…?” Nathaniel asks, noting with a bemused grin how both their hands were white-knuckled from their grips. He loosens his a bit, adding teasingly, “Marc, my hand might be going numb.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ngh…?” the writer mumbles, hauling himself up in a sitting position. He blinks those pretty green eyes of his, looking down at their connected hands. “O-Oh, sorry,” he whispers, abashed, loosening his grip. His thumb rubs soothing circles across the back of Nathaniel’s hand, and the artist finds himself melting.</p><p> </p><p>“D’you know what happened?” Nathaniel asks, because he just <em>can’t</em> remember. He stands, offering his hand to his boyfriend. The two nearly topple over in their attempt of getting Marc to his feet. They giggle, clutching at one another.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I don’t…I don’t really remember?” Marc admits, after his giggles die down. “Um…I’m fairly sure there was an Akuma?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…Yeah. I think so,” Nathaniel mutters, frowning. “Weird…I don’t remember what happened at all, though.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think th-there was an earthquake?” Marc asks with a frown on his pink lips, rubbing at his temples. “I…urgh…I can’t recall exact details…Everything is fuzzy…”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe we both got hit in the head by debris or something?” Nathaniel offers, also confused.</p><p> </p><p>“Possibly?” Marc offers, licking his lips. “M-Maybe we can watch the news reports later.”</p><p> </p><p>The redhead nods, sighing and stretching. “It’s fine. Maybe that was part of the Ladybug Cure. Maybe we were <em>supposed</em> to forget about it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe…” the other hums, a pensive look on his face. That’s the thing with Marc; he always liked a mystery. “It still feels odd. Like we’re missing something…”</p><p> </p><p>Nathaniel may like how Marc is always so curious and willing to investigate something that catches his interest…But Marc might just worry himself in an early grave about it.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, Marc,” the artist insists, getting on his toes to leave a quick peck on the other’s lips. The writer giggles, cheeks adorably flushing a light pink, as if this was Nathaniel’s first time doing it instead of his hundredth. Dork. “We should probably go back to Art Club though, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“We should,” Marc nods with a soft smile, grabbing Nathaniel’s hand and squeezing it. “I’m glad you’re okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me too,” Nathaniel tells him warmly, squeezing the other’s hand back. “And I’m glad we were together during all this. It’s <em>way</em> less scary when I’m with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can count on me to always be with you,” Marc promises with a soft look, bringing the redhead’s hand up to kiss the back of his knuckles. Now it’s Nathaniel’s turn to have his cheeks flush, flustered despite the fact that Marc’s kissed his knuckles plenty of times before.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright. I’ll hold you to that,” Nathaniel says with a smile, heart warm and full.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Oh, someday girl, I don't know when,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We're gonna get to that place,</em>
</p><p><em>Where we really want to go, and we'll walk in the sun</em>.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>If he hugs Marc a little longer than usual before they part ways after Art Club, well…Neither of them seems to mind.</p><p> </p><p>It seems like instinctually, they both need the comfort.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever the hell happened to them during the Akuma attack…Nathaniel is perfectly fine with not knowing, if it’s shaken them so deeply to their core.</p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t matter, if he knows. He just knows that with Marc, the two can face anything together.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“<em>But till then, tramps like us,</em></p><p><em>Baby, we were born to run</em>.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's fine! Everything's fine. The Cure made everything back to normal, and everyone's alive again. No lingering trauma here!</p><p>Lyrics from Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, which is a classic.<br/>Does the more uplifting tone of the song detract from the fic? Or does it make an interesting contrast to the angst? Who knows. I know it was a favorite song of the author of Battle Royale and referenced quite a bit, and that book is all about kids dying so... Creative liberties B)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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